picky

adjective

\ ˈpi-kē

pickier; pickiest

Definition of picky

: very careful or too careful about choosing or accepting things : fussy, choosy a picky eater Because pen collectors are a picky lot, and some antiques dealers who are not in the pen business can overlook the details of condition, there is occasional friction.— Bill Holland With rising ticket prices and new competition from cable TV, cost-conscious families may be pickier about the movies they choose to see.— David Ansen and Martin Kasindorf

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Other Words from picky

pickiness noun

Taylor mocks Zavala for the size of his extended Mexican family, their endless chatter and the frequency of their quinceaneras. Zavala ribs Taylor for his white-person pickiness about artisanal coffee and marriage. — Belinda Luscombe Now jobless and forced to live with five housemates in San Jose, Calif., she comes away from every job interview discouraged by employers' pickiness. — Daniel McGinn

Examples of picky in a Sentence

a picky cat who would only eat one particular kind of food, and only if it was served in his special dish she's picky, but she always finds the best quality in fresh meat and fish

Recent Examples on the Web Be picky, but also sample what is available in your neighborhood. — Blake Caldwell, Forbes, 3 June 2022 However, with more varieties to choose from, Wideman warned that drinkers have the benefit of being picky. — Jordan Valinsky, CNN, 28 May 2022 Supply-chain skills are in such high demand these days that job seekers can afford to be picky, said Emily Prendergast, an executive director at DSJ. — BostonGlobe.com, 23 May 2022 And that’s why players are picky about who’s allowed to vote on awards. — Matt Young, Chron, 27 Apr. 2022 Nintendo has been extremely picky about adapting its characters following the disastrous Super Mario Bros. film in 1993. — Pamela Mcclintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 25 Apr. 2022 Finding the perfect gift is easier said than done, especially for the picky parent. — Malia Griggs, SELF, 13 Apr. 2022 Even picky teenagers are sure to appreciate this handy find that's earned 79,000 five-star ratings. — Jessica Leigh Mattern, PEOPLE.com, 9 Apr. 2022 The taste is familiar—your picky kid just might eat it—but with unexpected depth, sweetness, and color. — Bon Appétit, 7 Mar. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'picky.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.